Water Babies
by Cubbie And Chris
Summary: Awaiting the birth / arrival of the first royal baby, heir to the throne of Arus. (This story also includes the rest of the Voltron Force: Hunk, Lance, Pidge, cadets, Nanny & OC) - COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

AN1) Was inspired to write this KA mini-fic after reading **Prairie24's** _Fleeting Moments_, where Keith was holding his newborn baby daughter. Spring is in the air in the Northern Hemisphere and I learnt that a fellow KA fan was preggy as well! Also, there are not many fanfics on pregnancy and birthing except for (Cbear/Claire/SmartyBear2/Queenmerla) found at castle-of-lions-dot-com

AN2) I particularly liked how **Mako1** wrote her VF team as one big team-clique-family. With that in mind, in this mini-fic : Daniel has no Haggarium infection; he's a good lad and so are the rest of the cadets, and Keith and Allura have ascended to the throne of Arus.

AN3) OC Dr CJ Bryant was borrowed with permission from Snarktronforce 's Twitter Role player **Icewyche** . Thank you so much for lending Dr CJ for this particular mini-fanfic. Was also given creative liberty to tweak Dr CJ for this particular fanfic. In Voltron Twitter Role Play, Dr CJ Bryant works in Emergency and her character steadily progressed and became Lance's fiancee.

AN3) (IMHO) And like in my other fanfics, the universe is good - no angst, sadness, anger, etc., because in REAL LIFE I already have much of those things (dealing with babychild's cancer, her open-heart surgery and her Trisomy21 to name a few), enough to annoy me for two lifetimes. So for this particular fanfic, (like my Barbara Cartland of FF KA – **KittyLynne)** sit back, relax, enjoy a read, have a few giggles and be inspired, and feel good afterwards. #CubbieRecipeForKAshippyFanfi ction (Emphasis on InMyHumbleOpinionOnly) (^o^)

AN4) Insert Disclaimer clause i don't own anything Voltron etc etc

Without further ado, herewith is:

**Water Babies**

PROLOGUE

"Construction in Medtech? What gives, Doc?" asked a surprised Lance to Dr Gorma. He, Hunk and the cadets had just dropped off a pallet of special medical supplies.

"Expansion, Commander Lance," said Dr Gorma in a matter-of-fact tone. "As you know, Arus is on the brink of a baby boom. Lots of babies are due to be born in the next six months. The Castle of Lions' Medtech facility will be the back-up for the local hospital in case there won't be enough birthing pools."

"The… what… pools?" asked a perplexed Hunk.

"Birthing Pools," came a voice from behind the Voltron Force.

"Ah, Doctor Bryant! I don't think you've met the other half of the Voltron Force?" said Dr. Gorma. "Commander Lance, Lieutenant Hunk, Cadets Larmina, Daniel & Vince, meet our new specialist obstetrician Dr CJ Bryant. She'll be looking after Her Majesty Queen Allura."

CJ shook hands with the Voltron Force members and smilingly spoke to the only female cadet, "We've met, Lady Larmina. How is Her Majesty this morning?"

"Aunty Allura is still busy being Queen, not like she's due to give birth next month or anything." Larmina replied as she rolled her eyes.

Dr CJ laughed a sweet musical laugh. "That's our Queen for you! She does have this gorgeous glow, doesn't she?"

"Glow? What glow? I didn't see her glow!" queried Vince as he raised an eyebrow.

"She meant a 'preggy glow', not your 'glow, glow' oh _Chosen One,_" smirked Larmina, looking askance at Vince.

"So what's the connection with pools and a pregnant Queen?" asked a clueless Daniel.

"That's how the Queen wants to give birth: the traditional Arusian way," explained Dr CJ as she showed them the first room. It was already completed and ready for the birth of the first royal baby.

"Aah… uhh... ok..." stammered Hunk, who looked rather embarrassed with the discussion of babies and birthing. "Thanks Doctor G, and uh… nice meeting you Dr CJ, but uh... me and the cadets… we still have errands to run." Hunk gave a sheepish smile and started pushing the three cadets out of the Medtech facility.

Larmina waved back to Dr CJ, while Daniel and Vince seemed more interested in their 'errand'. Hunk had promised them a trip to the Hunkyard that morning.

"Thank you for the quick delivery of these supplies, Commander Lance," said a grateful Dr Gorma.

"You know me Doc, anything medical, I'm your man!" said Lance, and with a cheeky smile he winked at the new lady doctor. He then left Medtech and headed towards Castle Control.

Dr Bryant wordlessly raised an eyebrow at the Red Lion Pilot's odd behaviour_. He's not as professional as the other half of the Voltron Force I met yesterday, _thought CJ. She had first met Their Majesties and the young Green Lion pilot previously. They were very professional, and carried themselves with such commanding presence and regal aura.

CJ wasn't just a medical doctor: as an Arusian, she came from a long line of empath healers, and aural spectrum was her speciality. She thought that the Red Lion pilot lived up to his reputation: brash, cocky… _whatever._ She waved the annoying thought away and went about her morning medical routine.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

He took a deep breath and adoringly gazed at his heavily pregnant wife. "You are simply... _insatiable_," he chuckled as he went to pick up the clothes that were recklessly scattered in a trail from the door to the foot of the royal bed.

She simply smiled with her half-lidded green eyes as she basked in the delicious afterglow. She eyed her gloriously naked husband as he bent over to gather up the detritus of their eager coupling.

"Pregnant or not, I have needs, my King," she sweetly purred as he placed the pile of clothes on top of the ottoman. "Prurient needs, that only my well-endowed hunter-gatherer husband can fulfil!" she giggled, then lovingly kissed him for his gracious and gallant deed of tidying up.

"I see my Queen has developed a wicked sense of humour," he laughed as he sat down beside his wife and caressed her very full and bare belly.

"I am awash with hormones, my love, and I can't wait for our baby to be born soon," she replied in a voice full of anticipation.

"Three weeks to go?" he leaned closer as he lovingly stroked her magnificent golden tresses. His tone was a mix of anxiety and excitement.

She nodded, her eyes shining with overwhelming adoration. "I love you, Keith," she said, caressing his cheek. "Please don't worry. Everything will be all right," she assured her worried husband-lover-king.

He kissed the palm of her hand and sighed, breathing out his trepidation. "I love you, Allura." He lay down beside his wife and held her reverently. This exquisite woman was his lover, his confidant, his best friend, and soon would be the mother of his child. Their child. Their first born.

Suddenly a loud gurgling growl broke their quiet contemplation.

"Umm, Keith..." Allura gave a sheepish smile.

Keith chuckled. "Well, you _are_ eating for two. What would you like for breakfast?"

"The works!" she proudly beamed at her husband, knowing that it meant three strips of free-range bacon, two scrambled organic eggs, two slices of wholemeal toast, two servings of fresh fruit and a ready pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Keith gently helped his heavily pregnant wife sit up. "I'll ring the kitchen to start prepping your brekkie."

She strutted towards the bathroom. _She's such a gorgeous sight to behold,_ Keith thought as his eyes hungrily trailed after her. To this besotted King, his expectant wife-Queen was utterly stunning and ravishing.

Finishing his instructions to the castle's head chef about the Queen's dietary needs, Keith sauntered after Allura and eagerly joined her for a quick hot shower.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

"He has it bad," said Pidge.

"He had it bad since he married her," said Hunk

"Well, _I_ think he had it bad since the day he met her," said Lance.

All three solemnly nodded as they continued their breakfast.

Keith raised an eyebrow at them. "And to think my child will have you three for godfathers," he smirked as he poured another glass of orange juice for his wife.

"Oh, by the way, Nanny's arriving next week," Allura said between mouthfuls.

Pidge, Lance and Hunk choked on their food. Lance reached for his coffee and gulped hard, Hunk coughed and pounded his chest, and Pidge's eyes watered as a bite of cheese toast caught in his throat.

"Who is arriving next week?" asked Daniel. He and Vince had just arrived to join the rest of the team for breakfast. Fresh and clean after a couple of hours at the Hunkyard, they were ready to wolf down their food with adolescent gusto.

"Looks like we need to introduce Nanny to a fresh set of hooligans!" sneered Lance.

"Nanny's coming, Aunt Allura? Ooh, you two are _sooo_ dead meat!" taunted Larmina, grinning at her co-cadets. She was the last to arrive for breakfast.

When the king of Arus saw that his merry band-team-family was all complete, he cleared his throat for everyone's attention. "So, what's the plan today?"

Lance had the cadets for flight sim, then astrophysics with Pidge in the afternoon. Hunk was to run routine maintenance checks on the Lions.

Their big breakfast demolished, everyone stood up and left, except the King and Queen. Keith whipped out his datapad as he leisurely and patiently waited for his wife to finish her meal. They were usually the first ones at the table, and last ones to leave. Allura ate slowly and waited for the food to settle for a few minutes before moving.

"You really don't need to wait for me," Allura said sheepishly as she finally swallowed the last morsel. But Keith had always waited for her, even long before they were married. Was it his good table manners? The gentleman in him would not leave a woman of rank unescorted? Was it common courtesy as her protector, or simply because he treasured her company? Despite Keith's impassive and indifferent exterior, deep inside he had cherished Allura from the moment they met.

Keith just quietly smiled as he continued working on his datapad. They each had separate morning work routines: he would go to Castle Control, then his office; she would do the rounds on each level to meet the staff then head to her office for meetings. Twice a week, they would travel around Arus to personally meet with their constituents. But with Allura's due date fast approaching, Keith insisted on cancelling their meetings around Arus as well as off-planet trips.

Once Allura felt her tummy (and the wide-awake baby inside her) settling, she gently accepted Keith proffered hand and stood up slowly, feeling all of her baby's weight dropping to her pelvis. "I'm going for a walkabout on this level, then I'm meeting Dr Bryant afterward for my weekly check-up," she said, giving Keith's hand a gentle squeeze and lovingly kissing her husband.

"Okay. I'll meet you when you see the new doctor. I want to be there with you." Keith reverently kissed his wife back, then watched as she walked off.

_She still has that luscious backside. I can't even see she's pregnant from behind_! Keith grinned as he stared after her. All her physical training as a Voltron Force pilot had endowed her with a trim, well-toned figure, which made pregnancy easy and seemed to imbue her with a radiant glow. Keith smiled and sighed a blissful sigh.

Allura sensed Keith's eyes on her even from a distance, and as she turned down the next corridor she blew him a kiss and giggled. With a lopsided grin, Keith shook his head, turned around and purposely strode off towards Castle Control.

(To be continued…)


	3. Chapter 2

Author's notes:

Thank you for all the reviews! You're all the best! Just a bit of WARNING MATURE SITUATION FOR KA ON MISCHIEF MODE AGAIN! *evil giggle* . Caveat: If you don't like it, don't read it!XD

Keith and Allura young married couple are besties (*whispers* cubbie's KA would MOSTLY be mischievous and madly in love with each other! *nods* *eep* *giggly-squee* *runs*) (^o^)

and insert disclaimer clause i don't anything Voltron etc etc

**Chapter 2**

Two male cadets dressed in their swim shorts chatted animatedly as they headed to the castle's indoor lap pool. The new fitness facility level included a dojo for martial arts training, a gym, sauna and Jacuzzi. They were abruptly halted by a female cadet, who was standing guard outside the doors to the indoor pool area.

"The pool's closed," Larmina said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah right," snickered Daniel. He pushed past her and tried to open the sliding door, but to his surprise it wouldn't budge. To Larmina's amusement he attempted to use every access code he could remember.

"You're kidding me, right?" Vince said with a raised eyebrow and thought it was one of Larmina's practical jokes again.

"I told you, it's closed. And Daniel, don't even bother trying. I live here, remember? I can bypass any access code in the system. Trust me on this one. You two doofuses don't want to go in there, unless you want to do five hours' worth of Lion scrubbing and cleaning duty."

"Hey, we've got swimming on today's schedule, and I need to beat Vince in the 500-metre freestyle," said Daniel, who was quite determined this morning, more so than usual. He pushed Vince towards the keypad. "C'mon Vince, do your thing," he urged, wriggling his fingers in the air.

"Someone's in there, huh?" Vince asked. He was rather reluctant to use his special ability to tap into the Castle's mainframe.

"Yes!" hissed Larmina. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her eyebrow twitched in annoyance and she clenched her fists.

_Why didn't they lock it in the first place? I didn't need to see THAT... _she growled to herself, remembering what had happened before the two boys had showed up. She began typing a voltcom message: "FYI. Pool closed. Thanks," and sent it to the rest of the team.

"Surely whoever's in there can share. It _is_ a five-lane pool," Daniel haughtily suggested with arms crossed.

"Shhh! Not so loud, you idiots! Let's go before we get into trouble!" Larmina said as she pushed her co-cadets away from the pool entrance. "I'd rather kick both your butts in the simulator. We have plenty of time before lunch. You guys game?"

"Oh, you're on! And the loser forfeits dessert!" exclaimed Daniel with a wide grin, his annoyance at losing a day's swim already forgotten.

"Uh, how about only half a dessert?" pleaded Vince as the three left the fitness facility.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

She let out a deep and contented sigh. Her full belly felt weightless being immersed in the water, and it had provided much-needed temporary relief. Her swimsuit lay forgotten at the edge of the pool, and her hands had grown all pruney. She didn't care. Allura relished this moment alone with her husband, in the comfort of his strong embrace and the soothing water.

Allura knew beyond doubt that their lives would change completely once their baby was born.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

It had been a week since her first check-up with the new medtech doctor, who had informed Keith and herself that the baby was doing fine and Allura's blood tests were all within normal range. As an empath, Dr Bryant also mentioned that their baby was perfectly calm and happy at that moment. Keith had been utterly mesmerised with its holo-image, already in a head-down position, and he'd saved a copy on to his voltcom. Allura and Keith had decided not to reveal their baby's gender just yet, and Dr CJ Bryant vowed, with a chuckle and twinkling eyes, that their secret was safe with her.

Dr Bryant did warn however that Allura would feel more changes in her pregnant body as her due date drew closer. Her breasts would feel more sensitive than they already were, and that she might feel a sudden surge of contractions that wouldn't quite be the real thing yet.  
"They would be the tightening of the muscles in the womb. They are infrequent and shouldn't last more than a minute. Usually a change of activity makes these false contractions stop," explained CJ. "But given this is your first pregnancy, you may feel unsure, but you can always page me straightaway," reassured Dr Bryant, sensing a rising concern in Keith the soon-to-be father.

"Thank you, CJ. You'd be surprised who worries more about this pregnancy," teased the young queen. Their handsome king could only blush as he helped Allura down from the examination table.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

The week had gone relaxingly well for Allura as she continued her normal routine, although her husband was a different matter. The father-to-be constantly made sure the nursery was fully stocked with all the necessities; he made a point of knowing Dr Bryant's shift schedule in case their baby arrived early; he often checked his voltcom to verify Allura's whereabouts, as well as read her biometrics whenever he was flying Black Lion for either practice drills or patrol duty.

Keith had this nagging feeling that their baby would be born at the least opportune moment, probably when he was nowhere near Allura. The rest of the team sensed their commander's anxiety and decided to take matters into their own hands.

"No flying, Your Majesty. You're grounded till Nanny gets here," Hunk said solemnly.

"You've been too anxious lately, Keith. It's gotten to the point where you're making the rest of us all edgy and jumpy too," retorted Pidge.

"You need time off, flyboy. Just stay with Allura. I know it's what you'd rather be doing right now, anyway. Besides, you should enjoy your final two weeks of quiet time. Soon enough you'll be waking in the middle of night with a screaming baby, you'll never to get be alone with your wife, and yeah, don't forget changing dirty nappies. Ugh!" squirmed Lance.

"All right, all right! I'm out of here," Keith said in exasperated defeat, and he gave them further instructions on the week's practice drills.

"And by the way, O Fearless Leader," Lance continued, "the entire Holgersson family will be here next week. Sven just called me a few minutes ago and they'll be all here for the birthing. "

Keith simply nodded, appreciative that his other best friend Sven, who now had a preschool-age son and a toddler daughter, would be there to walk him down the new road of parenting.

Deep down, Keith was worried for both himself and Allura. Not only were they first-time parents, but they had no siblings, and their own parents had long since passed. They had no blood kin to provide them with intergenerational support. Keith was to become a fatherless father and his dearest wife a motherless mother.

He checked his voltcom again and tracked down Allura's whereabouts. He mischievously grinned when he realised where the very-pregnant Queen of Arus was, and he hurried off to surprise his beautiful wife.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

Pidge looked at his voltcom while he, Hunk and Lance prepped their lions for launch. It was a text message from Larmina informing them that the lap pool was closed. He suddenly remembered he'd set the time for an operating system upgrade to start in two minutes. Pidge felt he still had enough time to message everyone to expect a reboot in castle's operating system.

"So, what makes this system upgrade different from your other usual upgrades?" asked Lance.

"The entire OS upgrade means it includes anything and everything linked to the Castle of Lions… like the lions, the voltcoms, the whole nine yards. Extra trillion hyper-bandwidth means faster systems for everything," explained Pidge in a nonchalant way.

"Anything faster is good in my book!" Lance grinned.

"Umm, Pidge, did you run a simulated beta and diagnostic before doing a live upload?" asked Hunk.

"Of course I did. Twice, in fact," reassured Pidge.

"Just making sure, lil' buddy! We don't want Their Majesties to freak out if something goes wrong," nodded the Yellow Lion pilot.

"You worry too much," Lance retorted. "I can't wait to see what Red can do with this new faster OS!" He was very eager to let his Lion out of its den.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

"Hey guys, there's a message from Pidge!" Vince said as he checked his Voltcom. They were in the hand-to-hand combat simulator room, trading punches and kicks with holographic Lotors.  
"OS upgrade in… less than a minute," Vince concluded.

"And that concerns us… how?" asked Daniel as he continued to beat the simuLotor.

"Systems upgrade…. means…" huffed Larmina as she whipped her leg around in a roundhouse kick to her sim, "…a reboot of some sort, which means…"

_OOHVVOOOM._

"…that." The holographic opponents faded out as the simulation chimed a systems reboot, and soon they were back to the starting prompt.

"Awwww, hell!" groaned Daniel, "back to square one?! Jeez, today is NOT my lucky day."

Vince simply grinned. "Looks like it's MY lucky day, buddy!" _No swimming… no sims…and a systems upgrade!_

"Quit it, you two. Who's up for a snacks" quipped Larmina as she headed for the door towards the Castle's kitchen.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

"Uh, what was that?" Keith asked as the lights at the indoor pool area suddenly flickered. He immediately checked his voltcom.

"What was what?" purred Allura. She was too busy mischievously enjoying the exclusive company of a very handsome Black Lion pilot, who had joined her in a quiet corner of the lap pool. _The water is so gorgeous and so is he_, she thought as she slipped underwater.

Keith suddenly drew a sharp breath, then closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. _Damn, she's good.  
_"It's an OS upgrade… Pidge… sent a message via voltcom." Keith said through gritted teeth.

A pair of impish green eyes slowly emerged from underneath the water and looked at him through half-closed lids. Allura emerged and licked her lips. _Oh-so-yummy, as always. _

"You're enjoying yourself way too much, my Queen." Keith's turquoise blue eyes went dark and intense. He turned Allura around and pulled her to him, her back against his chest. Keith held her tight and moved her golden hair aside, then leaned forward and slowly nibbled his wife's ear, moving down to her graceful neck and shoulders. "Your underwater efforts have been duly noted, Your Majesty," Keith huskily whispered to Allura as he gently pushed himself inside her.

Allura inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sensation of physically being one with the man she loved. Their duties often kept them apart in the castle, and Allura would miss him dearly. This was their way to reconnect, and it was her way to reassure him everything was all right in their little world of contented bliss.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

"Uh, Pidge… I think you need to readjust your calculations on the braking systems," began Hunk. He observed a tiny fraction of a difference in Yellow Lion's handling.

"Don't worry about me though, Pidge. Red and I are sooo cool with this." Lance grinned as he did the trickiest lion manoeuvre he could think of.

"Uh huh…." Pidge muttered distractedly as he concurrently checked the telemetries of all three lions and the castle itself. "Uh guys, is anyone expecting a fractal…? Careful, Lance! You're too fast and too close to that…!"  
"Whaaa?!" exclaimed Lance as he buzzed past the incoming shuttle.

"We're being hailed!" boomed Hunk.

"Voltron Lions, this is inbound fractal, requesting permission to land at Castle of Lions. We wish to drop off Lady Hys."

"Who are you dropping off?" Lance raised an eyebrow as he spoke over the comm.

"Do you think they meant… Nanny?" asked Hunk, remembering that Allura had mentioned Nanny was due to arrive anytime soon.

"Uh-oh, we won't make it back in time. We're still adjusting the Lions' systems up here. Better hail the cadets…" Pidge said, punching up the voltcom and ordering the three cadets to meet Nanny at the castle's lobby.

"Yeah, let them meet Nanny first!" Lance chuckled wickedly.

vvvvVvvvVvvvv

"Woooohoooo! The new systems upgrade made my voltcom speed… even speedier!" hollered Daniel as he zoomed across the hallway of the Castle's commissary.

"Uh, we just ate. Don't you think you gotta slow down a bit?" Vince shook his head in dismay. _He's being so Daniel again._

"Er, guys, Pidge says we're supposed to meet Nanny up front. They're still up in the air with the lions." Larmina said as she exited the commissary.

"Who? Nanny? Ok, I'll be there fast. Really fast!" Daniel said hastily and left his two fellow cadets in his wake.

vvvvVvvvVvvv

At the castle's lobby, stacks of boxes were being offloaded from the fractal. A heavily-dressed elderly woman emerged from the craft and slowly walked down the gangplank. The close brush with one of the robot lions had rattled her. She didn't really like flying in the first place.  
She straightened out her dark blue cloak and let out a deep sigh, patiently waiting for someone to meet her at the lobby. She would not expect Her Majesties. She did say to Allura that she'd rather not announce her arrival.

With a blur of movement and a rush of wind, something swished in front of her and knocked her off balance. Whoever was speeding inside the castle hallways had also toppled the stack of boxes beside her. It was one of _them_!

"Ack! Vat kind of improper velcome is this, and vhy are you speeding inside the castle?!" she yelled at the unruly young boy.

(to be continued!) XD

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	4. Chapter 3

Authors' Notes

1) We would to say a big thank you for all your reviews! They are like chocolate to us fanfic writers: they're yummy, gives us a good sugar rush *giggles* and sustains us to continue and write (and finish the fanfic!) So, if you're new and you're reading this now, would love a morsel of your time for a yummy scrumptious review (^o^)

To date, we'd like to give a big wave to AAMamaBirdCat, bknbu, FroofyB, JustLucky05, Prairie24, SallyOn, Smithy, YouKnees and WadeWells who left reviews in previous chapter *grateful solemn nod*

*whispers* yes, cubbie is a chocoholic *eye roll*

2) and to get the latest beat on anything and everything hashtag #KeithAndAllura join the convo at KeithAndAllura on Twitter *eep* *giggles* *runs and hides under autumn doona*

3) Insert standard disclaimer clause we don't own anything Voltron WEP etc etc

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Chapter 3

"What did you do this time?" Larmina growled at Daniel, who stood timidly to one side as she and Lance gently helped Nanny to her feet.

"I hope nothing's broken," said Lance as he gave Nanny a worried look, then his gaze travelled to the boxes scattered all over the castle's foyer.

Larmina and Vince had called Lance, Hunk and Pidge shortly after they arrived at the scene. The Voltron pilots had landed their robot lions in front of the castle and hurried to help Nanny and the cadets.

"It's not my fault," grumbled Daniel petulantly as he crossed his arms.

"Nanny, I'd feel better if we alert Medtech. We'll also need a gurney for you just to be sure," said Lance as he summoned a holo-gurney from his voltcom.

"How have you been, Commander Lance?" Nanny smiled weakly as she patted Lance's cheek. "My young hooligans have all grown up."

"Awww, Nanny has gone soft on us," Hunk chuckled. "Not even a slap on the wrist for Daniel? C'mon Nanny, here's your new set of ruffians. Do your worst," teased the Yellow Lion pilot.

"Not the time, Hunk," Lance chided. "We'll remind Nanny later," added the Red Lion pilot with a smirk.

"What are in these boxes?" Vince tried to pick up some of them that looked deceptively light.

"Those are presents from different families all over Arus…" Nanny slowly explained while Larmina and Lance helped her onto the gurney. "…and there will be more arriving soon. Those are for Their Majesties' new baby."

Nanny gripped Larmina's arm. "Please, no need to tell your aunt about this," she implored. "We don't want to stress Allura and Keith. They should relax and focus on the birthing, and not worry about me. I'll be fine…"

"Enough talk, Nanny, let's get you to Medtech," Lance interrupted.

"Daniel, you are in soooo much trouble when I get back," Larmina glared at her impetuous fellow cadet.

Remaining at the foyer, Hunk looked over the mess that Daniel had created.

"Cadets, help me clear these boxes up fast," ordered Hunk. "The People's Forum is starting in less than an hour," he said as he hailed a holo-pallet mover from his voltcom.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

Wheeled into Medtech by no less than the charming Commander Lance McClain, Lady Hannah Hys proudly thought that her first batch of unruly hooligans had grown into fine gentlemen.

She shifted her weight when a sharp pain shot through her. This wasn't what she'd expected, especially on her first day back at the Castle.

At Medtech's receiving area, she was surprised to see a very familiar face. "Christabel Juliette Bryant! What on Arus are you doing here at the Castle of Lions?" she exclaimed. She winced at another surge of pain from her lower back, and she squeezed Larmina's hand.

"Lady Hys, what are you doing here at Medtech? Last time we spoke you were running Arus' orphanages," replied a surprised Dr Bryant.

"Orphanages are all running smoothly…" Hannah smiled weakly. The pain was getting worse.

Dr Bryant cut off Nanny in mid-sentence, "Tell me first what happened to you."

"Looks like one of our speeding cadets knocked her off her feet," Lance interjected, moving Nanny onto a Medtech bed and deactivating the holographic gurney. "So, how do you know Nanny?" he continued, eyes twinkling with interest. Larmina caught the look and stifled a giggle.

"My mum and Hannah are best friends." CJ said nonchalantly. The Red Lion pilot made her feel uneasy and self-conscious. "Thank you for looking after Hannah. I shall take it from here," she said, wheeling the bed into one of the examination rooms.

Lance hesitantly followed CJ, "Wait, you're… a baby doctor. Where's Dr Gorma?"

"I'm in charge of Medtech for the next few hours. Dr Gorma's in a meeting," Dr Bryant replied absentmindedly as two nurses helped her prep the examination bay. "I've also had emergency medical training. Excuse us, Commander," CJ concluded in a clipped tone, and shut the door on Lance.

"I like her," Larmina piped up, then bit her lip to suppress a smile as Lance glared in her direction.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

"So, how is she, Doctor?" a very concerned and very-pregnant Queen of Arus asked Dr Gorma as she entered Medtech.

"She is sleeping now, Your Majesty. Lady Hys sustained a lumbar strain when she was knocked off her feet. Nothing was damaged or broken, thankfully. I'll keep her here overnight for further observation," replied Dr Gorma as they walked towards Nanny's room in Medtech.

"Oh, Nanny…" Allura let out a big sigh as she peered through the glass door to see her old caregiver in deep slumber. "She is getting on in years," explained Allura. "This isn't how I imagined her start here at the castle. We wanted her to have a more relaxed stay this time around…" Allura paused as Dr Bryant joined them outside Nanny's room.

"… We wanted to make things more comfortable for Nanny, just to have an extra set of hands to help with the baby," the young queen's ethereal green eyes showed deep worry, "but we can't ask her to do that now, with a back injury…"

Allura suddenly felt a sharp squeeze below her navel. She lurched forward and grasped the bottom of her swollen belly. _What was that?_

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Dr Bryant caught Allura's arm and felt the queen's tense jolt.

Allura blew out a steady breath as the tension in her belly went away. "I'm sorry CJ, I… it was a sharp, swift pain… it's gone now…" She straightened her back and smiled. "It's okay… I'm good. I'd better go, the People's Forum starts in a few minutes downstairs at the Main Hall. Please keep me updated on Nanny's progress." Allura shook their hands and left Medtech in a hurry.

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"Keith, I recalculated and recalibrated the variances on the braking systems on the Lions as well as the velocity dynamics on the voltcoms," Pidge explained to Keith as they both stared at several holo-screens.

"But that's not the only reason I needed you here at Castle Control," prompted Pidge. "It's because of this," Pidge showed him a message from Galaxy Alliance Intel. "The report mentioned an unusual number of small spacecraft headed for Arus over the last twelve hours. They tagged the civilian vessels in their database, and you're not gonna like it."

Keith raised a knowing eyebrow. "I swear, they're like vultures sometimes," he frowned in exasperation.

"And that's not the only thing," added Pidge. "Today's the People's Forum in the main hall, and it's Allura's turn in the royal roster."

"They won't get past security," grimaced Keith. "Only Arusian citizens are allowed entry."

"Oh, and the Holgerssons are arriving in an hour," reminded Pidge.

"Okay, so we have the People's Forum, the _paparazzi_," he said the word with distaste, "and the Holgerssons…"

"…and Nanny in MedTech," Lance added, striding purposefully into Castle Control.

"You're kidding me, right?" asked Keith as he turned to look at his friend.

"I wish I was, Keith, but no," replied Lance as he crossed his arms.

Before Keith could say anything, his voltcom suddenly beeped.

"Uh, chief," came Hunk's voice over the com. "You want to come down to the main hall, like… right now!"

"On my way," Keith bolted out of Castle Control. He tried to contact his wife through his voltcom. "Allura, where are you? Are you OK?" he barked.

No response. He quickly glanced at Allura's biometric readings and his heart lurched.

_Allura…_

_(To be continued)_


	5. Chapter 4

Authors' Notes

We take a break this week from our other ongoing fanfiction "Kogane: Prophecy and Legacy" and upload the next chapter for Water Babies.

Coincidentally, in real life, a #royalbaby is about to be born! Talk about "Art Imitates Life. " :-D

We dedicate this chapter to two Aussie twitterers: To Dr ClaireBear who will be taking her practical exam Royal Australian College of Physicians this coming weekend. Dr Clairebear wrote the first baby birthing #KeithAndAllura #fanfiction more than ten years ago. We wish Dr CB all the best with her exams!

Another Aussie is Robbiepoet, who is also a fan of #Voltron #KeithAndAllura. We met via Twitter and had a couple of #tweetups already! Water Babies is her favourite.

Also, thank you to Cielo_in_Melbs and Euturaphalia, both local breastfeeding mums who shared their water birthing experiences.

Thank you for reviews MamaBirdcat, WadeWells, bknbu, KathDMD, JustLucky05, keithandallurafan, Prairie24 and SammyRacer2. These cliffhangers are terrible! *evil giggles*

And insert standard disclaimer clause we don't know Voltron etcetera etcetera…

We give you,

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**CHAPTER 4**

Dr. CJ Bryant, the Castle's resident obstetrician, was at the medical station when she suddenly felt a large wave of empathic energy approaching the castle. _All seven of them? Here? Now? _ She could hear them, humming an ancient song that echoed through her empath bond, "_The Heart and Soul of Arus need us! We await their joy!" _

She rose quickly from her desk and called a MET code through the Medtech's paging system. An entire medical emergency team immediately responded and bolted straightaway towards the main hall.

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They came from all over the galaxy, eager for fame, money, and especially bragging rights. Their goal was to get highly-coveted snapshots of the most gorgeous planetary queen in the galaxy: the very pregnant and very-soon-to-give-birth Allura of Arus. Moreover, any photos of her together with her handsome husband Keith, the King of Arus, would be worth double. To the ravenous paparazzi, the Arusian royals were a symbol of style, glamour, and power in a now peaceful galaxy.

The crazed members of the media circus were sneaky enough to disguise themselves as Arusians with their forged identification papers (obtained at great cost on the black market) and slick enough to gain entry to the Castle of Lions. Once inside, they found the beautiful Arusian queen pleasantly standing at a far corner of the main hall speaking with her constituents. She was utterly photogenic, and so very pregnant. What delectable fodder for their magazine clientele! The paparazzi aggressively pushed, shoved, and haughtily elbowed their way towards the former Voltron pilot.

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They came from all over Arus, answering the Call that echoed across the planet. They had hidden themselves in the remotest regions of Arus; their dormant abilities slowly awakening and strengthening to their full potential.

_Wake, people of Arus! Wake, for our time is at hand! The heart and soul of Arus have borne fruit. Come and witness, protect, and welcome their joy! Take courage and rise! Peace has come to our galaxy! Seek out the heart and soul of Arus! _

Wave upon wave of welcoming energy surrounded them, but they knew not from where it emanated. Was it possible that the amazing exuberance and enthusiasm came from Arus itself? The sounds of new life and infectious laughter, an effervescent joy, echoed across the land and spread like wildfire. They could not ignore the Call; they descended from their hiding places and journeyed to the heart and soul of their planet: the Castle of Lions.

They congregated at the steps of the home of the Voltron Lions, arriving on the day of the People's Forum, an age-old tradition revived by the Royal House of Arus. Eager to see their monarchs, they felt some kind of flickering, bubbling energy as they entered the main hall.

_Protect the Queen! Protect the soul of Arus and her joy!_ They sensed the interlopers: people from off-planet in disguise, pretending to be Arusians; come with malicious intent and negative energy. The empaths quickly approached to protect their heavily pregnant Queen Allura.

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Keith's heart lurched. _Her voltcom's dead? It can't be!_ It was the longest ten-second-sprint he'd ever made in his life. Time seemed to slow down. The Arusian king saw large video cameras, bright camera flashes from photographers, and people jostling each other in a tight congregation at the far corner of the castle's main hall. Where was Allura?

In a heartbeat he assessed the situation, and Keith furiously raised both his blazing broadswords from his voltcom. He saw a rowdy group of galactic paparazzi dressed as Arusians being rounded up by Hunk and the Castle's security staff, while true Arusian citizens formed a protective circle in the centre. _Why can't I see Allura? _

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Suddenly overwhelmed by the increasing number of bodies that encircled her, Allura calmly asked her people to give her a bit of breathing room. They followed her wishes, but almost instantly the space was filled by more people, this time with glaring lights, camera flashbulbs, and boom microphones. These ones may have been dressed as Arusians, but Allura immediately saw through the ruse. With all their shoving and pushing and their endless prying questions, Allura was accidentally knocked down by some cumbersome piece of media equipment.

She had an awareness that she was falling, and she saw her life suddenly unfolding backwards before her eyes, things she kept in her heart, the happy and important events that she shared with Keith. She loved her simple yet solemn wedding to her beloved Keith and his coronation as co-ruler of Arus. She cherished her engagement to him. She adored the moment she had hugged him when he returned with Black Lion. Then there was that fateful day Keith had arrived on Arus with rest of the team. In the deepest recesses of her memory, accessed by unconscious recall, she was three months old looking happily at a five-year-old boy with piercing turquoise eyes and unruly black hair.

Allura heard a soft beautiful hum, then felt an awareness of children singing. As she opened her eyes, she found herself floating weightlessly in bluish-gold liquid, the same hues of Voltron's energy signature. She saw hundreds of smiling young children, who giggled and laughed as they danced in the air around the Arusian queen. Their bright eyes and cherubic faces sang her an ancient tune that sounded like an old lullaby she'd heard long, long ago.

_We will all be reborn! Arus will live again and our empathic energy shall centre the galaxy in all its goodness! _

The floating children guided her towards a couple who stood in the distance, holding hands and talking to each other: a young man with raven hair and a young girl with golden wavy tresses. The young man let go of the girl's hand and slowly approached Allura. _Keith? Is that Keith?_ Allura was not sure. He did not look exactly like her husband. As the young man approached her, his eyes were as green as hers, and slowly transformed, getting younger and younger still as he closed the gap between them. By the time he reached her, Allura was staring at a baby with ethereal green eyes.

"Allura!" The voice was loud and clear, the tone pierced with pain and worry. _Keith! Keith's calling me!_

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"Stand down!" the King of Arus roared as he unleashed his wrath on the paparazzi; his twin blazing swords were bathed in blue fire, and the curious crowd of onlookers penitently parted before their king. "Where is the Queen?" Keith demanded.

Suddenly a large ball of energy in the same bluish haze as his swords emerged from within the protective circle of Arusians, growing bigger and bigger. As the blue energy reached the paparazzi, all of their equipment suddenly surged with an electric burst, and the smell of burnt, overheated memory chips fizzled in the air with wisps of smoke.

Keith stepped forward towards the ball of light, and his voltcom went dead. An unconscious figure slowly rose in the middle of the blue energy sphere. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Allura's limp body floating towards him. He moved closer and reached up to take his beloved wife into his arms.

"Allura!" his voice croaked. He was nearly in tears as he held his Allura tight. The glowing blue energy sphere enveloped the royal couple.

Dr. Bryant arrived at the scene and calmly approached the distraught king, "Your Majesty, our queen was saved by our fellow empaths. She's fine, just in a trance and fitfully asleep." Dr. Bryant motioned her hand to the awaiting holo-gurney. "If you could put her down, we need to bring Her Majesty to the birthing rooms now…"

"No," Keith adamantly declined, his eyes burning with unshed tears as he held his unconscious Allura in his arms.

The Arusian empaths, eight of them including Dr Bryant, continued to project the energy sphere around their beloved monarchs as they followed Keith, who carried Allura in his arms as he strode purposefully toward Medtech.

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"Aunt Allura!" Larmina wanted to run to them, but Vince held her shoulder as if to stop her. She had seen the group walking past the spare meeting room where the cadets had stowed Nanny's packing boxes.

"Hey, don't worry; Keith's got her," Vince said in a solemn and calm voice. The presence of the empaths made him aware that their planetary monarch would be well taken care of.

"C'mon guys, let's go find Hunk," Daniel suggested. "He'll probably tell us what happened."

The Yellow Lion pilot was herding people towards the exit of the main hall when the cadets caught up with him.

"What happened to my aunty?" Larmina grabbed Hunk's arm with teary eyes.

"She'll be fine." Hunk said nonchalantly. It was neither the best moment nor the best place to explain with a bunch of people within earshot. "We're closing the People Forum until further notice."

Lance eventually joined Hunk to coordinate with the Castle's security team. "I'll meet with Pidge later to review the footage," he frowned. The People's Forum had always been a massive security hole, and a breach of this nature was inevitable. Lance knew that a major overhaul was definitely due.

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Allura's eyes fluttered open. Briefly disoriented, she quickly realized she was floating in water. She stared up at the holo-biometric sensors hovering above her. Then she heard a loud sigh of relief.

"Keith…?" she whispered. His handsome face appeared above her, only upside down. Allura was floating in the birthing pool, her belly protruding above the water line. Keith, kneeling outside the pool, was holding Allura's head above water, stroking her cheek.

"I'm here, love," Keith whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Our baby…?"

"Everything will be fine." His voice soothed her.

"What happened? Where am I?" Allura asked in an exhausted voice.

"The empaths saved you," Keith replied, caressing her face. "I thought I'd lost you." There was a pain in his voice that made Allura want to hug him. She moved her body into a sitting position, her back against the side of the birthing pool. Keith held her shoulders as she did so, then he wrapped his arms under her ribcage to hold her steady.

Then it began, that tugging sensation and the primal need to push down. She moved her legs apart into a semi-kneeling-squat position. Feeling stretched like a weave being pulled apart, Allura let out a low groan. Each tug brought growing discomfort, each stretch brought searing pain. She hissed a breath, and gulped a lungful of air. _Heavens! Ohhhh… Gahhh._

From her pelvis down to her legs, the urge to push grew stronger, as did the sense of being pulled apart in all directions. She took a deep breath when there was a momentary unexpected pause.

Dr Bryant knelt at Allura's other side. "You are progressing well in your labour, Your Majesty. The empaths and I are here; we've guided you and your baby, and we are monitoring you both."

Allura nodded, perspiration trickling down her face. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Her legs and thighs had this kind of electric tingling as her pelvis heaved. "I'm thirsty…I'd like some ice… crushed ice chips…please," she said.

"Is there anything else you need, love?" Keith asked as he held his wife's hands. Allura wordlessly shook her head as she prepared for the next onslaught of pain.

"The empaths are here, Your Majesty, just outside the birthing room. They said they will divert some of your pain, but not completely. According to them, your baby is very eager to greet us." Dr. Bryant warmly smiled and squeezed Allura's hand. "Just keep your pace and remember your yogic breathing," she reminded the queen as she glanced at the holo-charts, checking Allura's blood pressure and her unborn child's heart rate.

Just as another wave of searing pain arrived, Keith carefully plopped a couple of small ice pieces between Allura's lips.

The soreness was expanding and unfurling her pelvic muscles, and the primitive instinct to push began once again. Allura shut her eyes as the sharp ache pushed her to her limit. She squeezed Keith's hand as she let out a long moan.

"Why did nobody tell me giving birth is so painful and exhausting?" Allura growled through gritted teeth as the sharp ache ran its course. The duration between each painful interval was growing shorter and more draining.

"Why do I feel so angry with you, Kogane?" Allura snarled as she gripped Keith's hand harder. "And don't laugh either," she quickly retorted when Keith chuckled. "Arrrgghh… That last one was a biggie."

"Talk it through, Your Majesty; you're progressing well," said Dr Bryant, as Allura's labour was truly underway.

"How far are we, CJ?" Allura breathlessly asked.

"You're actually not even halfway, Your Majesty. However, your dilation is progressing as expected."

"Please, just call me Allura, and… this labour? It's getting to be a royal pain." _Why do I feel I'm doing this wrong?_

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

An hour passed, with Keith massaging her back and Dr Bryant and the empaths' presence helping to soothe her. Nevertheless, Allura was beginning to feel her temper fraying again when she heard a calming voice greet her.

"Hello, cousin."

Allura smiled exhaustedly as she clasped her cousin Romelle's hands. "Thank you for being here with us! Keith needs a break, don't you love?" Allura gave a concerned look at her beloved.

"I'm fine Allura; I won't leave you," Keith assured her. He did look exhausted; the initial surge of adrenaline had left him once the labour intervals had fallen into a predictable and consistent pattern.

"Keith, you need to dress in something more comfortable than your royal attire," Romelle admonished, giving him a knowing smile. "You need to get cleaned up and comfortable for when your baby arrives."

Keith nodded. "Okay, I'll go change, and I'll update the team as well."

"Sven's just outside the door. He and the kids are eager to see you!" Romelle beamed, knowing that Sven's presence would help relax the worried soon-to-be-father.

Keith kissed Allura and stepped out of the birthing room.

"Dr. Bryant, would it be okay to ask the nurses for more ice chips? Have them bring some refreshments for yourself, the Medtech team, and all of our guests as well." Despite her predicament, Allura was always thoughtful of other people's needs. Dr. Bryant nodded and dutifully called the nurse's station.

"Did you have a water birth too?" Allura asked Romelle.

"Yes, but when it was my first time everything was new. I didn't know what to expect with regards to the labour contractions and the pain," Romelle sheepishly admitted to her cousin.

"Yes, we are motherless mothers…" Allura sighed wistfully.

Soon, another set of contractions began and Romelle held her hand and soothed her as the wave of push-and-tug took its course. It was stronger and the excruciating stretch pulled harder. At the end of the cyclical pattern, Allura was more exhausted. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.

_So tired. I can't do this. Wait, think positive… we can do this… Ooohh… why am I so sleepy? Can't…_

"Romelle…" Allura let out a big yawn, as her eyes began to droop. "Why do I feel so tired?" She let out another big yawn. "Keith…" she whispered drowsily.

Allura suddenly had an irresistible urge to drift off to sleep. She turned and folded her arms on the edge of the pool, and laid her head on them tiredly.

Suddenly, the holo-monitors and sensors began to beep wildly.

"Uh, Doctor…what's happening?" Romelle asked as a surprised Dr. Bryant came in to check the readings.

"It can't be!" Dr. Bryant gasped. "Your Majesty, Allura, wake up… don't sleep now… Oh, gods…" She lurched to the nearby red emergency button, then moved the queen backwards from her leaning-forward position in the pool.

She pressed her com and barked a coded message. "M.E.T. room 217 Medtech Stat! I repeat, M.E.T. room 217 Medtech Stat!"

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(to be continued) XD


	6. Chapter 5

Authors' Notes

We pause from our other fanfiction "Kogane: Prophecy & Legacy" as we swing back to Water Babies and continue from that awful cliffhanger of an ending of the previous chapter *snickers*

Thank you for leaving reviews AA-MamaBirdcat, bknbu, JustLucky05, Smithy, Achangel Wolf, KathDMD, wade wells, keithnallurafan and sammyracer2. What can we say about Cliffhangers? They're pure evil, yet very fun to write *cheeky grin*

Thank you Atumnmissa and Maryasmiley following / fav'd our fanfic

Also, we decided to purposely push for an upload on the 1st of September which is #FathersDay in Australia (every first Sunday of September is #FathersDay in Australia). Chapter 5 is dedicated to the Voltron (geeky) dads and new dads out there reading our Voltron #KeithAndAllura fanfiction.

Finally, we don't own anything Voltron. WEP owns Voltron and Voltron Force. We write fanfiction for fun and we do not earn money or profit from anything from this endeavour.

Without further ado,

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**Chapter 5**

"Status?"

"Her Majesty is stable for now, Doctor, but still non-responsive."

_It doesn't make sense_, Dr Bryant thought, as the MET team continued to monitor the insensate Queen's vital signs.

Trained in advanced Terran obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine, as well as Arusian empathic birthing techniques, CJ Bryant was baffled at this development. She had delivered many babies before, either with medical intervention or via the traditional Arusian water birthing method, so why would this one be any different? Her agile mind ran through multiple scenarios and protocols. An empath herself, CJ could not comprehend why Queen Allura remained telepathically unresponsive.

Scrutinising Allura's biometric readings, CJ was startled as a warm hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see the oldest of the empaths standing behind her with a look of worry etched on her wizened face.

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_Quickest shower of my life,_ Keith thought, distractedly leaving his royal uniform in a heap on the floor and pulling on his comfortable old khaki cargo pants and black T-shirt. The hot shower had helped calm his mind, although he was still exhausted as he made his way down to Castle Control, where he found the rest of the Voltron Force, including Sven and his two children. They were reviewing the security footage from the incident at the People's Forum earlier.

"Keith!" they cried in unison, and crowded around their leader. "Is the baby here yet?" "How's Allura?" Everyone spoke at the same time, eager to hear the latest update.

"Baby hasn't arrived yet," Keith said with a harried smile as he absently raked his hand through his damp hair. "I just got changed and decided to swing past you before I head back…" He froze mid-sentence and stumbled. His heart lurched and he suddenly felt lightheaded.

"Chief, are you okay?" Hunk caught Keith's shoulder and helped him stand.

_Allura… Something's wrong…_ "I have to go," Keith replied quickly, just as his voltcom alerted him of an incoming message.

It was Dr Bryant. "Your Majesty, you're needed back at the birthing suite immediately!"

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"Good. Our King must be with his Queen at the birth of their baby," the eldest empath informed Dr Bryant. "Only when they are together will their energy be balanced and the child be born. The King's absence creates a fissure through which our protective energy escapes."

CJ realised that this was not a conventional Arusian birthing. Allura was not only their Queen, but also a gifted empath herself, and the King had latent abilities of his own.

_The Castle of Lions is the Heart and Soul of Arus; to the empaths the heart and soul of Arus are also represented by their King and Queen. Oh goddess, is it really THAT simple? _

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"You guys feel that?"

Everyone in Castle Control looked at Vince in puzzlement as he walked to the door leading to the main hall, head cocked as if listening.

The other two cadets jogged after him. "Vince? What's going on?" Daniel queried.

"Some kind of energy surge…" Vince replied distractedly, "and… singing. Children singing…"

Larmina and Daniel traded a look. They had long since learned not to question these mystical "episodes" that Vince experienced.

Pidge spoke up, "Sensors are indeed picking up an energy signature, just outside in the main hall. It's strange… Full- spectrum analysis says it's nearly identical to Voltron's, but I'm not detecting any activity from the Lions."

He turned to look at the cadets, but they had exited Castle Control. "Guys, be careful!" he warned them over his voltcom. "We don't know yet if it's safe!"

"It's okay…" Vince's detached voice replied, followed by Larmina's. "Pidge, it's… beautiful."

The team ran to join the cadets in the main hall, and their jaws dropped when they saw streaks of electric blue light emanating from the centrepiece painting of King Alfor, creating glowing patterns that climbed the walls toward the MedTech wing.

"It's like… the energy we encountered on planet Ariel," Pidge said, breaking their awed silence, "when the Blacksmith repaired Voltron's Nexus."

All eyes turned to Vince, who stood unmoving as he watched the mystical glow ascend to the ceiling.

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"I'm here," Keith said as he hurriedly strode into the birthing suite, then paused in disbelief as he saw the birthing pool aglow with a familiar electric blue energy.

"What's wrong with Allura?" he asked Romelle, who cradled her sleeping cousin's head and shoulders in her arms. She could only stare at Keith as he rushed to her side.

"Keith… your eyes…" Romelle gasped as he knelt beside her. He was too distracted to reply, and as his hands touched Allura's skin he felt a brief jolt of energy. _Like when the Lions interlock to form Voltron,_ he thought.

He looked up to see Dr Bryant and the empath elder approaching.

"What happened?" he asked, almost pleadingly.

The empath elder calmly placed her hand on the young king's shoulder. "Your Majesty, our Queen is fine. She only needs you. Only together can you complete the birthing."

Keith nodded and let out a cleansing breath. He whispered to Allura, "I'm here, my love. You need to wake up. Please, wake up."

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. After a long moment she stirred, breathing deeply and slowly opening her eyes.

"Mmmmm…. Keith, you're here," she whispered, turning her head to look at him. "Keith! Your eyes…" Allura exclaimed. "Does it hurt?" She reached out and touched his face.

"Does what hurt? What's up with my eyes?" Keith looked in bewilderment at Dr Bryant and the empath, who only smiled at him.

"They're _glowing_," Romelle blurted out. Keith looked down at his reflection in the water in amazement. "Like Voltron…" he murmured.

Allura raised her head. "Do you hear that? The singing?"

Keith simply nodded. _Why does it sound familiar?_

"I hear it too! I think… I've heard it before," Romelle said in wonderment as she stood up to give way to Dr Bryant and the empath.

"Your Majesty, we need to turn off all the sensors at this time," Dr Bryant explained. "As you can see, this is obviously not a typical birth. I know you're tired, but the empaths are calming your baby, who is very eager to greet the world. You'll need to make that one big push very soon." CJ stood up and moved towards the opposite side of the pool, donning a pair of sterile gloves.

Allura nodded, then rolled her head back and lowered her shoulders. Drawing a deep breath, she closed her eyes and the sound of children singing an ancient lullaby filled her mind.

_:: Do you hear them, Keith? ::_

_:: Yes… it's a beautiful song ::_ Keith smiled and kissed the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her, their hands joined around Allura's chest.

Allura inhaled again, and slowly let out her breath as she began to push. Groaning through clenched teeth, her brow knitted in pain, she squeezed Keith's hands as she heaved one more time with all the strength she could muster.

_The Heart and Soul of Arus welcome their joy!_

Dr Bryant raised her gloved hands from the iridescent water, holding a little bundle of pink. "Your Majesties, your son has arrived!" she exclaimed with a proud smile.

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"A boy, Allura… our son is here," Keith whispered to his exhausted but smiling wife. Dr Bryant had placed the newborn prince on his mother's chest, where he had already begun to sniff and instinctively move toward her breast.

Tears flowed freely from Allura's eyes as she breathed a big sigh of relief. She kissed their baby's head, already with a full mop of black hair. She looked at Keith and saw the glow in his eyes had faded. "He has your hair," she said with a smile.

"You were amazing," Keith replied. "I love you." He leaned forward to kiss their newborn baby, "And you too, little one." The royal couple had eyes only for each other, oblivious of the movement around them as Romelle moved closer to her cousin.

"Congratulations, you two!" Romelle said teary-eyed, "What will you name him?"

The new parents smiled. "Akira," Keith said proudly.

"Akira Alfor Raimon Kogane." Allura said, as she gently stroked her baby's back. "Thank you, Romelle, for staying with me." She smiled at her cousin as little Akira latched onto her breast for the very first time.

Romelle nodded. "I'll let the others know," she said, and eagerly left the birthing suite.

"Your son has strong lungs," said Dr Bryant, who had turned the sensors back on to get biometric readings of both mother and child.

Allura smiled at her baby's strong and eager sucking of breastmilk for his first meal. "He's hungry."

The birthing staff moved about and began their normal post-birth duties. They cut and saved the umbilical cord once it had stopped pulsing, and cleaned up the exhausted new mother. With a holo-gurney, they carefully lifted the peaceful mother and child from the birthing pool and onto a reclined hospital bed.

Keith helped his wife into a fresh hospital gown and pulled several warm blankets over her and Akira, making sure they were both comfortable.

CJ quietly approached. "Your Majesties, the empaths would like to bestow a blessing on the new prince before they depart."

The new parents smiled in reply, and all eight empaths, including Dr Bryant, joined hands in a half-circle around them. They shut their eyes and sent an empathic message of hope, peace and love to the new heir of Arus.

The walls rumbled as loud booming roars echoed through the Castle. The five Lions were acknowledging and welcoming the newest member of the pride, with the loudest roar coming from Black Lion in its den on the Castle's spire.

The blessing complete, the empaths quietly left for their quarters. Their Majesties had insisted that they stay the night and be flown home the next day.

Outside the birthing suite, the boisterous and happy Voltron Force gave their thanks to the departing empaths as they waited eagerly to greet the new addition to their extended family.

"Guys, guys, simmer down!" Romelle hissed, futilely calling for quiet as Dr Bryant stepped out of the room to join them.

Lance blew an ear-splitting whistle and barked, "Listen up, people!"

"Very authoritative, Commander Lance. Thank you," Dr Bryant smiled. "The young prince is sleeping, and the new mother is exhausted and will also need to get some rest. You can come in now, but _very quietly_, please, and make it brief."

Everyone nodded sheepishly and filed into the room.

"Congratulations Aunty!" Larmina tried her best not to squeal loudly as she and Romelle moved next to Allura and sleeping baby in her arms. "My new cousin is gorgeous!"

Lance approached Keith, who stood up to greet the team. "Congratulations, man!" Lance enthused, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah, congratulations, bro!" Hunk said, wrapping their leader in a big bear hug.

"Well done, man!" Pidge chimed in, shaking Keith's hand enthusiastically.

"Vell done my friend, you are now a father just like me!" Sven chuckled. He lifted his daughter up so she could see her new cousin. "How do you feel?"

"Happy… Worn out…" Keith replied, beaming with pride despite his exhaustion.

Vince and Daniel stood at the foot of the bed, watching over Sven's young son Prince Erik and awkwardly trying not to look at Allura breastfeeding the newborn baby.

Dr Bryant approached Lance to discuss arranging transport for the empaths.

"Consider it done, Doc!" Lance assured CJ, "and thanks for taking good care of Allura." He clasped her hands in his. "If there's anything you need, just let me know," he finished solemnly.

CJ smiled bashfully and nodded, hoping he couldn't see the colour rising in her cheeks.

Keith went to stand next to Allura and draped a protective arm around his wife and child. Everyone gathered to take photos beside the new family and of the new baby. As CJ took a final group photo with the new royal family, Allura gave out a tired yawn.

"And that's our cue," Lance said. Everyone bade goodbye as he ushered them outside.

Dr CJ took the sleeping Akira, swaddled him warmly, and placed him in a transparent bassinet beside Allura's bed. Keith lowered the reclining bed to level and arranged Allura's pillows.

"I'd like to stay here tonight," Keith said, "And thank you CJ, for all your help."

"No worries sir, the couch unfolds into a bed, and if you need anything, the buzzer is right here." Dr Bryant pointed at a green button next to Allura's bed. "We'll send dinner up in a couple of hours." She dimmed the room lights and quietly stepped outside.

"Keith," Allura whispered, barely awake.

"Shhh, I'm here, love. I'm not leaving. I'm never leaving you." He stroked her cheek and gently kissed her forehead. "You are amazing."

"Hmmmm…" Allura smiled. "I love you." Her voice trailed off as she drifted into slumber.

"I love you too."

(To Be Continued…?) XD

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Authors' Endnotes

1) And we thought this was the final chapter. Apparently there's still an Epilogue (Yeah, cos, we want to know what happened to Nanny? Or how about the amazing Dr Bryant and the cheeky Red Lion pilot? *giggles*

2) cubbie and Chris are big fans of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. The Arusian children singing is an homage to the prophecy/vision in Miyazaki's anime "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind".


	7. Epilogue

Authors' Notes :

Thank you for all the reviews for last chapter, glad you liked it! Thank you dancingwind17, Smithy, bknbu, SammyRacer2, AA-MamaBirdCat, KathDMD, Achangel Wolf, JustLucky05 and Maryasmiley.

Ariesgerl & Achangel Wolf thank you for following & fav'd

dancingwind17 – Oh noes, what happened to Lance? Wait til next upcoming fanfiction *wink* (What can we say? We're really #KeithAndAllura fans and we don't want Lance to steal Keith's thunder in the end? But Lance dominates much of today's dialogue)

Achangel Wolf – we promised ourselves we'll always have a 'happy ending' in our #KeithAndAllura fanfic universe

We dedicate this chapter to Cheetoy, awesome KA fangirl-artist-TwitterRolePlayer whose due date is this month *blows kisses*

We had fun writing Water Babies. It's our first light-hearted mini-fanfic that included the entire Voltorn Force. Hope you continue to give reviews long after this fanfic is complete.

And we add the standard disclaimer clause that we don't own anything Voltron & Voltron Force etc.

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**EPILOGUE**

"Thank you, Romelle, for arriving in time for the birth," The young king of Arus stood on the tarmac as he bade farewell to his wife's Polluxian relatives.

"No worries, Keith. It has been an amazing three days. You'll be a wonderful father, won't he Sven?" Romelle turned to face her husband who was approaching with their children in tow.

"Keith vill be fine," Sven chuckled. "Oh, and this is for you, min bror." Sven handed him a paper bag.

Keith reached into the bag and took out an odd-looking harness, made of black cloth with a single clasp, padded with foam and attached to a soft webbing-like mesh. "What's this?" He curiously arched an eyebrow.

"It's called a baby sling," Sven began, "It'll do vonders. You von't believe it, Keith, fatherhood vill change you. It sure did me. If you don't understand it now, you will later on."

"Thanks Sven," Keith nodded.

With one last big bear hug, Sven and his family boarded their spacecraft. Keith admired the Pollux royal coat of arms on the hull as the ship lifted off for the Holgersson's home planet.

Keith watched it disappear into the clouds, then checked the time and hurriedly joined the rest of the Voltron Force at the meeting room.

vvvvVvvvvVvvvv

"Took you long enough," Lance said half-jokingly.

"Just saw Sven, Romelle & the kids off. We'll see them again for the Naming Ceremony,"

"Yeah, about that," Lance began, "We need to sort out the media. You and Allura will need to choose three official media representatives. We need to cap the number to avoid a repeat of the fiasco at People's Forum."

"Agreed," Keith concurred. He stood next to Lance and began the meeting.

Lance faced the entire Voltron Force, "OK, listen up. We've called you all here today for two important things." He nodded to Keith, who then raised a series of holo-documents then simultaneously distributed holo-copies to each team member's datapad.

"First, we have the Naming Ceremony, which is for my beloved godson," Lance beaming proudly.

"Hey, he's my godson too!" Hunk roared with faux protest.

"Mine too!" Pidge smirked.

"Ahem," Keith cleared his throat to grab the team's attention, "The point is…we need to organise this event carefully. Lance has listed your assigned roles; as well as a few locations that might need extra security," he explained. "There will be dignitaries and other royals from across the galaxy. Security is paramount; even more so than the galactic music festival. Everyone must have a G5 security clearance, no exceptions."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"There's also this other item we need to discuss. This will take place a week after the naming ceremony." Keith sent out another set of holo-documents to their datapads.

"What are these?" Daniel raised a brow.

"They look like… music sheets?" Vince asked hesitantly.

"You're kidding me, right?" Larmina could not believe what she was looking at.

"Settle down, cadets. This is what we call repayment for the free food and lodging you dweebs have enjoyed throughout your stay." Lance replied.

"Excuse me?" Larmina exclaimed, "I live here!"

"Yeah? Whatever happened to the "all-for-one-and-one-for-all" trio?" Daniel hissed and narrowed his eyes.

On their data pads were copies of an old Terran musical piece. "Hey, I know this one," Hunk enthused. "To Be Loved, sung by Michael Buble. Not really my thing, but it's catchy. You're not serious, are you, bro?" Hunk asked; his eyes twinkling.

"Keith, I never figured you for the romantic type," Pidge teased.

Keith merely shrugged off their reactions and grinned, "What can I say? Having a wife and kid changes a man."

"Cadets, you have three months to practise, and I've already ironed out the rehearsal schedule," Lance said pointedly.

"We can rehearse in the workshop area where Allura can't hear us," Hunk eagerly suggested.

"I made sure Allura will have meetings in her office during those times," Keith assured Hunk.

"I think I can rearrange the music so it's easier to play, and maybe we can have Stereolactic perform the other musical instruments," Pidge said as his eyes sparkled with interest.

"Hey, I want to play bass!" Hunk insisted.

"Sure, sure… no worries, Hunk," Pidge absentmindedly replied as he began rearranging the music piece on the spot.

"And if you noticed on the next page, there will babysitting duties for a short period after that musical number," Lance pointed out to the cadets.

"What!" "No way." "What for?" All three cadets simultaneously argued, hoping to avoid becoming royal babysitters.

"Behave, you three," Lance retorted. "Okay, how about this: Would you prefer a one-off roster for babysitting duties, or two weeks of scrubbing the Lions?"

The three cadets mumbled inaudibly.

"Well?" Lance asked with arms akimbo.

They nodded silently in defeated agreement.

"Besides, you'll still have Nanny and extra staff on standby," Keith reassured the cadets, "Do you think I would trust you alone with _my_ son?" Keith said to Nanny's new set of hooligans.

"Wait, are you and aunty going somewhere?" Larmina raised an eyebrow.

"It's just overnight," Keith replied evasively.

"Where are you guys heading?" Daniel asked nonchalantly.

"Somewhere," Keith grinned. Giving vague replies was rather fun.

"You think your present will arrive on time?" asked Lance.

"It had better. Where can I hide it though?" Keith scratched his jaw as he pondered.

"It'll come in a crate," Lance reminded Keith.

"You can hide it on my side of the hangar, in the workshop area. Allura doesn't go there," Hunk suggested.

"That's settled then," Keith nodded.

"What are you guys talking about?" Vince scratched his head, confused by the ambiguous conversation amongst the senior lion pilots.

"You three are not to breathe anything to the Queen about this, is that understood?" Lance warned the cadets. "We have three months to prepare."

"I've got to go, Nanny's taking her afternoon break very soon," Keith said as he checked the time.

"You are so whipped, man!" Lance teased his best friend.

"One day, you will be too," Keith replied.

"Never going to happen," Lance countered.

"Never say never!" Keith laughed and hurriedly left the meeting room.

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"So, all these assignments, the singing practice and the babysitting… anyone wanna tell me why?" Daniel asked bravely with arms akimbo.

"Don't you remember?" Larmina replied.

"Uh, no… so, what's the occasion?" Vince asked, looking cluelessly at Larmina.

Larmina rolled her eyes. "You guys really don't have any idea?" Both male cadets shook their heads.

"I had to ask," Larmina gave an exasperated sigh, then continued dreamily,

"It's Keith and Allura's first year wedding anniversary."

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Keith rushed toward the glass elevator that led to their royal residence, one floor above the Voltron Force's senior members. He and Allura had moved into their own stately and resplendent bedroom when they were married around nine months ago. Adjacent to the bedroom was the royal nursery.

Keith met Nanny just as she was quietly leaving the nursery.

"Ah, there you are, Your Majesty," Nanny Hys smiled and curtsied.

"Nanny, please," Keith, who was still getting used to all the formalities that came with his royal title, clasped his hand on to hers, "I want to thank you for looking after both Allura and Akira."

Nanny's eyes shone bright with tears. "Keith, it is an honour, and thank you for welcoming me back. It gladdens this old woman's heart to see my Allura so happy," she sighed and dried her eyes with her apron.

"Our home is your home, Nanny," Keith smiled, "I know Allura has already spoken to you, but we would like to be hands-on parents."

Nanny nodded solemnly, "I understand, Your Majesty."

"And no lifting too much, you'll only assist Allura and I when necessary," Keith reminded her.

"Yes, yes, Keith, I understand. Besides, nothing is too heavy for me, and nothing was broken when I had that fall a few days ago," Nanny assured him as she brushed off an imaginary speck of dust from her apron. "The empaths dropped by the Medtech room and healed whatever ailed me."

"Are you okay now?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Now, go… don't worry about me." Nanny smiled. "Go join your family. Her Majesty and the young Prince have just settled down for a nap after a good feed." Nanny curtsied, and walked towards the end of the hallway to the service elevator.

Keith quietly entered their bedroom, where the shades were drawn. He saw Allura, wearing her new white breastfeeding dress, her back towards him; her golden hair in a loose braid. She lay on her side in their massive king size bed, with their newborn son co-sleeping beside her. He quickly snuck into their en-suite bathroom for a quick shower before joining his wife and child.

"_Close Your Eyes" _

_by Michael Buble_

_Close your eyes_

_Let me tell you all the reasons why_

_Think you're one of a kind._

_Here's to you_

_The one that always pulls us through_

_Always do what you got to do_

_You're one of a kind_

_Thank god you're mine._

_You're an angel dressed in armour_

_You're the fair in every fight_

_You're my life and my safe harbor_

_Where the sun sets every night_

_And if my love is blind_

_I don't want to see the light._

_It's your beauty that betrays you_

_Your smile gives you away._

_Cause you're made of strength and mercy_

_And my soul is yours to save_

_I know this much is true_

_When my world was dark and blue_

_I know the only one who rescued me was you_

Pulling on a fresh set of underclothes, Keith padded silently towards their bed. The lingering fragrance of fresh sheets and a floral scent enveloped his senses, the familiar scent of his beloved wife Allura. No words could express how he felt at that moment. His heart felt it would burst from the love he felt at that moment for Allura and their new son. He would do everything in his power to keep them safe and secure.

He slowly eased himself into bed beside Allura. He ran his battle-worn hand on her smooth bare arm and down her side, and with lightest touch, he ran his fingers over his sleeping infant son, swaddled next to her. Allura's aura had a new motherly glow that Keith had never seen before, and he inhaled a new scent as well, a sweet-milky baby aroma. Keith smiled as he wrapped his arm around Allura's waist, settling down to join them in an afternoon nap.

Sensing Keith's comforting warmth, Allura breathed in her husband's presence and relished his hard body holding hers in a tight embrace.

"Mmmmm…. Keith…" Allura whispered dreamily, her eyes remaining closed as she moulded her body to his.

"You looked so comfortable, I thought I'd join you," he whispered back and kissed her earlobe.

"Aki and I love you," Allura said softly, her words barely audible as she drifted back to sleep.

"And I love you both." Keith buried his face in his wife's golden hair as he slowly joined them in restful slumber.

_Close your eyes_

_Let me tell you all the reasons why_

_You're never going to have to cry_

_Because you're one of a kind_

_Yeah, here's to you_

_The one that always pulls us through_

_You always do what you got to do, baby_

_Because you're one of a kind._

_When your love pours down on me_

_I know I'm finally free_

_So I tell you gratefully_

_Every single beat in my heart is yours to keep_

_So close your eyes_

_Let me tell you all the reasons why, babe_

_You're never going to have to cry, baby_

_Because you're one of a kind_

_Yeah, here's to you_

_You're the one that always pulls us through_

_You always do what you got to do, babe_

_'Cause you're one of a kind._

_You're the reason why I'm breathing._

_With a little look my way_

_You're the reason that I'm feeling_

_It's finally safe to stay!_

FIN / END


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